Boy who smacks puppy in video charged with animal cruelty

Feb. 6, 2014
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An Alexandria, La., police officer holds a puppy that was taken from a home after it was hit by a juvenile during an incident that was filmed and posted to social media. The puppy was declared in good health after being examined by a veterinarian. / Alexandria (La.) Police Department

by Jolie Lee, USA TODAY Network

In the video, the boy hits the puppy so hard that it yelps, spins around and falls off a bench. Laughter is heard in the background. Warning: Video contains graphic footage.

After the video was posted to the juvenile's Facebook page, people began sharing it and complaining to the Alexandria Police Department, reports The Town Talk in Alexandria, La.

Police Sgt. Bruce Fairbanks said the department began receiving calls around 7:30 p.m. Sunday. The Rapides Parish Sheriff's Department reported its Facebook page was "inundated" with posts regarding the incident, The Town Talk reports.

Fairbanks told USA TODAY Network that the puppy is currently at the Alexandria Animal Shelter.

"We are confident that the puppy will be safely placed," Fairbanks told The Town Talk.

The puppy cannot be put up for adoption until the family surrenders custody or if the courts decide to take away the family's ownership of the puppy, said Henry Wimbley, superintendent of the Alexandria Animal Control Department.

The Humane Society of Central Louisiana told The Town Talk that it deals with these types of abuse situations on a weekly basis.

"If it had not been a video, it would have gone unnoticed," Humane Society president Keri Toth told The Town Talk. "Too many times, over and over again, it's not seen and the animals are the ones that suffer."